


The Leper and The Angel

by Joelcoxriley



Category: Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Genre: Baldwin IV of Jerusalem - Freeform, Class Differences, Duties vs Emotion, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Jerusalem, King - Freeform, Kingdom of Heaven - Freeform, Lost Faith, Lost Love, Mask, Middle Ages, Passion, Passionate, Peasant Girl - Freeform, Romance, Sad and Sweet, Sickness, Silver Mask - Freeform, Social Differences, The Leper King, Third Crusade, Tragic Romance, chaste romance, complicated romance, envy - Freeform, fear of losing loved ones, leprosy, one shot series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-05-20 18:15:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19382089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joelcoxriley/pseuds/Joelcoxriley
Summary: Baldwin was a Leper who was never meant to be touched. Arella was an Angel who was meant to soothe and heal with her hands. He was a Leper, and she, an Angel. Baldwin never kissed a woman. Arella never kissed a man. The lips of a Leper and an Angel, however, were never supposed to touch.*One Shot Series*





	1. The Leper and The Angel

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> Here is where I'm compiling a bunch of one shots, similar to Stories in the Ink, so I don't have like ten plus stories on the same two characters.
> 
> I have the main story that these one shots are based upon on Fanfiction.net, but I haven't updated that in a long time. I'm better off working on one shots, for now.
> 
> Thank you for checking this out!

Their romance was not for the faint of heart, for it was so tender and pure that it would cause even the Angels in Heaven to weep.

The Leper King was stricken with illness that rendered his body lame and failing, a sharp and youthful man trapped within a rotting corpse.

The Angel was gifted with healing hands meant to soothe and heal, her voice tender and soft as if the sound of butterflies fluttering upon a lulling breeze.

He was the Leper in need of healing whilst she was the Angel intent on saving.

Saving the Leper proved difficult for the Angel, however, for the silver mask was always present. A barrier that none could break.

She was an Angel that was meant to heal with her hands. He was a Leper that was never meant to be touched.

The Angel cared for the Leper in all her tender fury, gentle fingertips moving to heal and soothe his raging inflammations. The Angel's tender and pure hands never once touched the sinful and rotting flesh of the Leper, but rather the smooth silk of his fine, kingly attire and the cold steel of a silver mask.

The Angel yearned to touch what she could not.

The Leper yearned to be touched by what he should not.

The Angel cared for the Leper by providing companionship and prayer.

The Leper protected the Angel from his own disease by utilizing a silver mask.

However, like all things forbidden, the poison of love began to infect their hearts, testing their resolve and tempting them with what they should not touch.

The Angel did not want to risk staining the beauty of the Leper with one so inferior.

The Leper did not want to risk tainting the purity of the Angel with his sickened frame.

The temptation, however, was always there. Silent, yet screaming.

Screaming and raking from the very fiber of her soul, like a storm kicked a rage in the pit of her stomach. The Angel's thin, soft lips adored with a pinkish hue parted ever so lightly in aching desire, her frazzled tongue seeking for words to stop making herself a fool in front of the Leper. Arella, however, could find no such words to utter. Only one word rolled off of the young woman's tongue, soft and gentle in the stillness of the night, as if in fret of breaking the silence, "Baldwin?"

His name left in admiration and affection from her pure lips, her beautiful voice trickling through the serenity of the moon's light upon gentle wind to the Leper's ears.

The pair were close despite the girth of the Palace's mighty halls, silk linens fluttering in the cool night breeze whilst the moonlight poured into the halls. The moon's light caressed the form of the man before her, casting a luminescent, almost ghostly glow against the white of his attire. The silver mask, however, was illuminated far greater, the metallic lips unmoving and still.

Their bodies were close, yet remaining untouched of one another, the Leper cocked his gaze down upon the woman, lean body towering over Arella. The smell of medicinal herbs and incense wafted from the man before her as shaking, feminine fingers rose slowly, oh, so slowly, to the Leper. The Angel's fingertips tenderly touched the silver cheek before her, though her heated fingers stained the cold mask with perspiration. Arella breathed slow, breath caught within her throat as her blue eyes looked upon the man before her, looking upon his crystalline eyes rimmed with red.

Arella never touched a man before. Not so tenderly and lovingly as she did now.

The Angel's eyes continued to look into the Leper's as her thin lips once more parted in want, a tingling sensation filling her virgin lips. The young woman's fingertips continued to stroke the cold steel of the delicately crafted mask. Despite Arella's underlying state of serenity, the woman's heart was ablaze with fear, ache, and love whilst her feminine fingers continued their trembling dance upon Baldwin's metal cheek.

The Angel never kissed a man before.

The Leper never kissed a woman before.

But Arella was no woman, just as Baldwin was no man.

She was an Angel, and he, a Leper.

Angels could not kiss Lepers.

Lepers could not kiss Angels.

Even if the pair were infected with the poison of love, their lips could never touch.

The lovers knew this unspoken rule well, and had always loved from afar. Together in companionship and platonic love, but never in courtly love-true love.

The young woman's eyes looked into those of her dear companion before having her gaze fall to the metallic steel of his lips. Slowly, hesitantly did Arella tilt her head, lips quivering as they begged to be lovingly caressed by the Leper's own, however marred and gnarled. Baldwin's ice born eyes watched as the woman before him stood upon her tip toes in order to reach him, the soft hue of her pink lips alluring his gaze. The Leper's own lips ached with desire as the man bent forward, seeking the affection of an Angel's kiss. His lips, however, were not what the Angel deserved. Perhaps at one time, before the disease crippled his body and marred his skin. Not now. Not now. The Leper's Angel deserved better.

Arella's lips continued to quiver as she neared the metallic lips of Baldwin's mask, her fingertips more firmly pressed against the steel. Soft flesh and hard steel were barely held apart as the young woman once more attempted to find the words she wished to speak, though only found the Leper's name softly rolling off of her tongue, "Baldwin..."

It was his name that the blonde uttered last before pressing her lips against the Leper's cold steel. Baldwin raised his undamaged hand, fingers curling to caress the woman's cheek in the most gentlest of touches.

The Leper desired the lips of his Angel, though untouched by his they remained.

The Angel desired the lips of her Leper, though her virgin lips caressed the cold lips of a mask instead.


	2. The Vow Unspoken

He was a Leper, and she was an Angel.

Lepers should never kiss Angels.

Angels should never kiss Lepers.

That was the unspoken rule.

And it was something the two dear companions silently vowed to themselves to uphold.

The Leper's vow, for the Angel's sake.

The Angel's vow, for the Leper's sake.

'Twas the Leper's desire to keep the Angel free of sin, and thus, his sickly taint.

'Twas the Angel's desire to keep the Leper free of taint, and thus, her inferior stock.

'Tis better that way.

For why would both have reason to doubt?

The Leper, Baldwin, would keep his dear Arella free of his disease.

The Angel, Arella, would keep her dear King free of her lowly class-and thus-her lowly self.

Despite the pair adamantly upholding such vows, the ache was still present.

The ache of desire.

The Leper desired the Angel's virgin lips.

The Angel desired the Leper's lips that were not cold steel.

It was this simple, and earnest, desire that brought Arella to the King's quarters. Despite having aided the healers in simple, trivial tasks away from the actual treatments taking place, the woman dared not to cast her gaze in the direction of her King.

It was an act of both respect, and bashfulness.

Respect for the Leper's privacy, and bashfulness for never seeing a man so declothed before.

It felt wrong for Arella to look upon a man's body.

Wrong for her to even think of such a curiousity.

Wrong for her to look upon a man, and they not be wed.

For surely, only those on matrimony gazed upon the naked skin of one another?

At least, that was what Arella thought.

Yet, here she was, the Angel. And here he was, the Leper. Their bodies barely seperated with nothing but the thin and delicate silk tapestries in between.

It still felt wrong.

Wrong for Arella to look upon her King whilst not in his graceful attire, but instead in bandages soaked in salves. He was not naked, but to the young blonde's innocence and shyness, he may as well have been.

Her oceanic gaze only dared to look upon his lithe form in mere flickers, before losing her courage, the soft flickers of candlelight casting a nigh intimate glow around them. She could see where the bandages did not cover-his piercing eyes rimmed red and his lips.

His lips, and not the cold steel of the mask.

Arella could feel a flush of red hue burn upon her face, embarrassed and bashful as her eyes met his, seperated by the tapestries. It was a gaze she found she could not hold, for the Angel swiftly diverted her gaze, wiping a sweatly palm against her clothes.

Her fleeing gaze was one the Leper noted, for when he spoke, his tone was soft and gentle, apologetic, "I apologize my appearance is undeserving of your eyes, my lady."

It was hearing those words that caused the young woman to attempt to swallow the ball that had formed within her throat, "No, no, I, I apologize. I fear I will disrespect you by having my gaze linger, too long. I would never want to do that. Never to you, my king." Arella replied, voice soft, a mere whisper as she hoped to hide the quiver held within her words.

My lady, and my king.

Words they used to protect one another from crossing that thin line.

No longer did they call one another by name, like they did, before.

Because back then, when they dared the mere thought of claiming one another's lips, the silver mask was always there. Always present.

But now, it was not, and that delicate, thin line they courted and danced upon, was ever thinner.

For why not would the Leper want to protect the Angel from his disease?

Why not would he want to protect her innocent, virgin lips from his gnarled and tainted ones?

For why not would the Angel want to protect the Leper from her stock?

Why not would she want to protect his regal, noble person from her lowly and uneducated self?

A faint, soft exhale, followed by a light chuckle came to Arella's ears, the light, breathless laugh gentle and clear like a trickling stream, "My lady, I assure you...having your eyes linger upon me would be the most fairest of honors...your eyes are so beautiful..."

The young woman felt a heated flush spread upon her cheeks, a tender smile upturning the corners of her mouth, "You do me too much honor, my king..."

My lady, and my king.

Words they used to stop themselves from crossing that thin line they now danced upon.

To try and remind themselves of the boundaries they should never cross.

Two titles to remind themselves-that he was a king who also was a Leper-that she was a servant who also was an Angel.

Two titles to remind them of their place, to make the other seem less human, less personable, less relatable, in such an emotionally vulnerable state.

An intimate state, for Arella had never kissed a man before, just as Baldwin had never kissed a woman before.

Yet, here he was, maskless, and silently yearning for his Angel's virgin lips. A request he dared not voice, for in that desire to caress his gnarled and marred lips with her beautiful own, was shame.

Shame, for even thinking about having his sickened own taint her pure, unkissed lips.

For how was one so sick such as he, so full of sin as he, worthy of such an Angel's grace?

Yet, here she was, nervous and anxious, feeling that ache, that tingle upon her pink hued lips. It was a feeling of desire, of yearning, to have her lips claimed by his own, however marred. But in that desire to have her lips claimed by the Leper, was bashfulness.

Bashfulness and shyness, for she had never kissed a man before. What if she kissed him wrong? What if she was not good at it?

For how was one so clumsy and inexperienced as she, worthy of such a King's grace?

The young blonde's thoughts were broken by the voice of her King, his tone soft and gentle, yet weak and raspy from sickness, "May I have the honor of holding you hand, Arella?"

Baldwin's request was a simple one, and one of boldness and uncertainly.

Arella's oceanic eyes flickered to the young man whose ice born gaze was just beyond the tapestries. The young blonde did not respond right away, for she was not entirely sure how to in her nervousness. Briefly, her gaze fell upon Baldwin's bandaged hand, held silent in offering, awaiting a response. He was trembling.

Perhaps the Leper was just as nervous as the Angel was?

The woman found herself smiling gently, timidly as she once more wiping the sweat from a palm upon her clothing, "Of course, Baldwin."

From the other side of the delicate silks, the Angel swore she could see the Leper smile-if ever so faintly.

Slowly, cautiously did their hands draw ever near, fingertips tenderly pressing against fingertips, divided by medical gauze and delicate silk. Their movements were hesitant, and humble, never pressing in their simple explorations as their fingers caressed against each other, palms gliding together. As their hands molded into one, each tenderly held the other's, and smiled, for they had done what they should not have.

Angels were never meant to touch Lepers, just as Lepers were never meant to touch Angels.

Yet here Leper and Angel were, hands intertwined as one.

Arella's smile grew, as did the flush upon her cheeks. She never realized how large Baldwin's fingers were compared to hers, how they enveloped her more feminine, slender fingers, until now. Tenderly did her smaller ones curl tighter around Baldwins' own, hoping to stop the trembling of his hand.

Leper and Angel remained in silence, each merely tenderly holding the other's hand. It was a moment Arella didn't want to end. She was so proud of herself! She was holding a man's hand! And not just anyone's hand! Her favorite person in the whole world's hand! Leperosy and sin be damned!

The young woman could not cease her smiling. Could not cease the timid-or perhaps ecstatic-red hue that adorned her face. Could not stop looking upon the ill man's face. Could not stop the now rapid and flurried beating of her heart.

Arella felt a cold sweat break over her, her lips trembling in want and need, though she dared not speak. Did not ask. She did not have the courage to.

The only noise the blonde could hear beside her panic stricken heartbeat as the gentle yet raspy breaths of her king.

That is, until, the Leper spoke, voice nigh breathless in relief, "...Thank you..." The young man murmured, blue eyes rimmed red looking upon the Angel, a faint smile gracing him. It was then his gaze fell upon Arella's fingers that were enveloped within his own. She was trembling. Baldwin's wasn't sure who was quivering worse: Arella, or himself.

The young man's ill gaze donned a look of worry, brows furrowing, "Are you well, Arella? You are shaking...You can let go, if you want to."

The Angel merely shook her head, her simple answer coming out more forceful than she desired, before softening, "No...I...I do not want to let go...I like holding your hand..." Arella paused, faultered in her words, tongue gliding across her lips in thought, to try to quell the temptation.

"I..." The Angel's hand within the Leper's hold was quaking in an even stronger fervor, causing Baldwin to tenderly tighten his grip upon her smaller fingers, thumb caressing her skin in slow circles.

The blonde's heart was pounding, her breath becoming ragged. When she spoke, her voice was but a mere whisper, soft and pleading. Yearning. Aching. Desperate, "...Baldwin..." Once more, like before, the Leper's name rolled off of the Angel's tongue.

The Angel yearned for her lips to be claimed by her Leper, and not the cold steel lips of the mask.

The Leper desired the lips of his Angel, to caress his own so tenderly and lovingly against hers.

He was a Leper, and she was an Angel.

Lepers should never kiss Angels.

Angels should never kiss Lepers.

That was the unspoken rule.

And there, within with soft flickering of candle light, the rule was broken as they continued to hold one another, tenderly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I'll have another chapter out shortly. I may post The Leper King on here, but I am still unsure as of yet.
> 
> Regardless, have a good day!


	3. Just a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jealousy and envy are two sins Baldwin knows well. They are always there, constantly reminding him that she was a dream. She was always a dream, as was the child they would never have.

Jealousy, and envy.

These were two sins that Baldwin knew well. For how could he not, when all those around him were unaffected by such a disease? Why were hundreds of people spared this disease, this curse of God? Why all, but not him?

Perhaps Baldwin should view his disease, his leperosy, as both a blessing, and a curse.

A curse, for having his body be slowly eaten away, and devolve into that of a walking corpse.

Yet, a blessing, for while his flesh was frail and weakening, his mind was sharp, and aware.

For his young age, the Leper King was quite wise beyond his years, and displayed such a trait in both philosophical thought, political maneuvers, and strategic battle plans quite fiercely.

For when one had nothing to lose, everything was all they could give.

Yes, Baldwin knew well his limitations, and his own faults.

He knew where his jealousy and envy stemmed.

It stemmed from a young man, of which Baldwin did not know his name.

He never asked Arella.

He did not dare, for the Leper dreaded her response should her tone be laced with affection for the other.

Whenever the King would happen to spy the merchant's daughter, the young man would almost always be by her side.

Her protector.

Her chaperone.

For a woman left unescorted, was quite vulnerable to deprived vultures.

Yes, her protector, her chaperone, was almost always there by her side.

Almost, always, save for when the man would accompany Arella to visit the Leper, and then take his leave.

Baldwin knew his sins intimately. And he could recognize the same sins in others, just as well. While the King and the young man never spoke, he saw the jaded look in his gaze.

How funny, it was, for a man so spared from disease be jealous of the Leper. For what did Baldwin have for the protector to be envious of?

It was only in these brief glances that the two men interacted.

Always before, and after, the Leper and the Angel's meetings, however brief.

They were meetings Baldwin looked forward to, and enjoyed. They were simple, innocent arranged meetings more often than not revolved around various teachings and studies. It was times where the Leper taught the young woman how to read, and how to write. Where the Leper taught her history, and philosophy, and the various stages of government-if however brief and light. Where the Leper taught her how to speak Arabic-if only the basics.

Topics that Baldwin often found interest, and passion in, as if he were a young boy again, being taught and drinking in the knowledge for the first time.

While Arella did not understand all of the topics-nor would she ever begin to understand-the young blonde listened intently, and earnestly, for she quite liked listening to the Leper's soft and gentle voice.

And if he enjoyed speaking and teaching these topics, why would she not let him?

Indeed, Arella quite enjoyed these meetings, if only because it meant she could spend more time with Jerusalem's ruler.

Indeed, Baldwin quite enjoyed these meetings that diverged from everyday duties and policies, if only because it meant he could spend more time with the merchant's daughter. At times, the Leper chose to continue on with the teachings and lessons despite having spells of weakness or fever, hiding the true extent of his illness from her. Because Baldwin knew that these times he cherished so would not last. Baldwin did not know which of their meetings would be their last.

Baldwin knew this.

Arella did, as well.

It was a silent, unspoken fact that both tried to ignore.

It was a thought Baldwin did not want to think about.

That, and the protector.

Several times, did Baldwin almost raise his voice to ask, but found the lump within his throat too large for him to properly speak.

Were they courting?

Were they...did she...?

But they were only half thoughts.

Half questions.

Because Baldwin supposed Arella's answers didn't matter. He was not long for this world, not as long as he would like.

What they had...what they might have become...was just a dream, and nothing more.

A foolish, young man's dream.

A dream of his hand holding hers.

Of his lips upon hers.

Of his arms embraced around her.

Of their hands joined in wedlock.

Of his child cradled in her womb.

Yes, a foolish, young man's dream.

Because that was all they were.

Baldwin couldn't understand why the protector gazed upon him with such a jaded sight.

He could still live his dreams, whilst the ruler could not.

Perhaps in another life, another time, he could.

But now, sitting across from Arella, only half listening to the soft trickling of her voice as she attempted to read a children's tale, Baldwin found himself dreaming once more.

Dreaming of the child they would never have, being tucked into bed as the gentle melody of his mother's voice lulls him to sleep.


End file.
